Man arrested in connection with sending death threat to Welsh Labour MP
A 76-year-old man has been arrested in connection with sending a death threat to the Welsh Labour MP Chris Bryant.
South Wales Police have confirmed that the man from Pontycymer, Bridgend county, was arrested on suspicion of malicious communications after they responded to a report on the matter on October 16.
Bryant, who represents Rhondda, says he received a death threat after he’d called for kindness following the killing of fellow MP Sir David Amess.
A tweet he posted on Saturday said: “Let’s all send a kind message on Twitter today to a politician we disagree with. Let’s eliminate the negative.”
Then on Sunday he posted: “You only have to look through some of the responses to this tweet to see the poison that is infecting British politics. And now I’ve had yet again another death threat.”
Chris Bryant told WalesOnline: “Over the years I have had a lot of death threats. They happen about four to five times a year. People have been arrested, cautioned by the police and one has gone to jail for it.
“There are many people putting themselves in harm’s way on behalf of the public every day but there can’t be many workplaces that have suffered two murders in five years.”
Speaking to Claire Summers on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, Bryant said MPs were often reluctant to go to police to report abuse because they knew how busy officers are.
He said: “I hope everyone dials down the nastiness in politics. It’s been six years of everyone calling each other traitor. That needs to end, we need to be nicer to each other.”
The Metropolitan Police has said it is treating the death of Conservative MP Sir David, who was stabbed at his constituency surgery in Essex, as a terrorist incident.
A 25-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the attack at the Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea.
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Chris Bryant is a disgrace to the Rhondda but it’s the people of the Rhondda that can kick I’m out he is only interested in is 4
Property in London making money 💰 he asked 320 questions in the English government but only 2 about the Rhondda stop being little Englanders and and be proud to be welsh start fighting for your children and grandchildren future in wales 🏴 it’s time for a new wales 🏴
This is disgraceful. Chris Bryant has the right to feel safe, as everybody does. If we disagree with our politicians we can write to them (politely), email them or ask to meet them for a meeting. There is absolutely no excuse or reason for violence, threats of violence or verbal assaults.
I agree, even though he is a horrible little man, no one should threaten to physically harm Bryant in any way. However, with a little luck, he’ll be thrown out at the next election if the people of the Rhondda have any sense.
People in the Rhondda got to stop voting for these little Englanders and be proud to be welsh kick all English party’s out of wales that’s the Tories Labour and all Brexit party’s start fighting for your children and grandchildren future in wales 🏴 it’s time for a new wales 🏴 pick MPs that are fighting for wales 🏴 and the people of wales 🏴 Chris Bryant is more interested in making money 💰 on is 4
Homes 🏠 in London than fighting for the people of the Rhondda it’s time to kick him out of wales 🏴